Home made rusks
Rusks are a breakfast staple for many, and homemade ones are just plain better!
Eating rusks for breakfast is very common in Italy. However, those you buy from a store comes too often with too many additives, or simply too much sugar. The good news is that is very very simple to make rusks at home and you can make them healthier and tastier.
In Italy rusks are called “fette biscottate“, doubled cooked slices.
Home made rusks: sweet healthy breakfast
Rusks are a great way to start the day, especially when you pair them with some good protein. Ricotta is perfect for the job. I love rusks with ricotta and home made jam. But you can eat them with honey or a nut spread too. If you make your own you can add good fibers, seeds or nuts. You could add spices like cinnamon, that is also helpful to control the sugar spike.
If you skip the sugar, you can also use rusks as crostini for a crunchy savory snack or breakfast.
Rusks variations
You can make a lot of variations when making rusks at home. You could use spelt instead of whole wheat flour, for example. Or you can add dried fruit or nuts. Seeds are a great addition too. I love sunflower seeds with their nutty flavor, but sesame, chia, or linen seed are great too.
You could also replace 40g of all-purpose flour with cocoa powder.
To make the rusks look beautiful and taste even better, you can divide the dough in two and add 1 tsp of cinnamon to one half. Then roll separately and put the cinnamon dough on top of the plain one and roll. This way, you’ll get a nice spiral texture flavored with cinnamon.
Rusks with raisins
Similar recipes for a traditional Italian breakfast
Home made rusks
Ingredients
- 200 g bread flour
- 200 g whole wheat flour
- 200 g milk
- 40 g butter room temperature
- 40 g sugar
- 1 egg
- 5 g dry yeast
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk, add the sugar, and mix well.
- Add the egg and mix again, then the flour and mix until all the liquids are absorbed.
- Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap.
- After the resting time, knead the dough for a minute or so to help strengthen the gluten. Then add salt and butter and mix well.
- Cover again and let it rise until doubled in size. It may take from 6/10 hours depending on the temperature.
- When the dough is ready, flatten it with your hands and roll it into a cylinder.
- Seal the bottom part of the dough carefully.
- Place the loaf in the pan and let it rest covered until doubled in size. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C (385°F).
- When the oven is ready, brush the loaf with some egg yolk or milk and cook for about 30 minutes.
- Let it cool on a wire rack.
- Slice the bread into 2cm thick slices and lay them on a baking sheet. Put the slices in the oven at 150°C (310°F) for 30 minutes, then turn off the oven and let the rusks sit in the oven until cooled down to dry completely.
- You can keep the rusks in an airtight container for months!
